Report: Florida Gators to Hire Mike Peterson as OLB Coach, Alumni Liaison
The army being constructed at the University of Florida takes another vital step toward completion.
The Gators are expected to hire former UF linebacker and South Carolina defensive ends/outside linebacker coach Mike Peterson as the outside linebackers coach and alumni liaison on Billy Napier’s first Florida staff.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic first reported the move on Tuesday.
Recently, reports surfaced regarding four potential staffers possibly making their way to Gainesville to join Napier’s efforts to reinstall a winning program.
With four on-field roles left to be filled, Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson, Bears defensive line coach Chris Rumph, Vikings defensive backs coach Karl Scott and Giants offensive line coach Rob Sale were named as suitors at various positions.
Peterson — who was not listed — will likely assume a spot that was expected to be filled by Rumph, as The Athletic initially reported that Rumph was in-line to coach outside linebackers for UF.
Playing at Florida from 1995-1998, Peterson served under the tutelage of Steve Spurrier, where he would be a part of Florida’s first national championship victory in 1996.
He earned team MVP honors in 1998 and was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.
A 14-year NFL veteran, Peterson began his decorated career with the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent four seasons after being drafted in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
Moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars in his prime, Peterson proved to be a significant factor in Jax's defensive dominance from 2003 to 2008, with Jack Del Rio at the helm. He recorded three of his six 100-plus tackle seasons while in Jacksonville.
Turmoil struck for Peterson in Duval in 2008, resulting in his departure from the Jaguars. He moved onto the Atlanta Falcons, where he hung up his cleats in 2012. Peterson ended his professional career with 883 tackles, 21.5 sacks and 19 interceptions in 196 games.
Equipped with a well-respected résumé as a player, he explored coaching immediately after retirement, returning to Florida from 2013 to 2015 as part of the Gators strength and conditioning staff. Since moving to South Carolina alongside former Florida head coach Will Muschamp in 2016, Peterson has been tabbed as a rising star in the business.
He has played a role in developing upcoming draft prospect OLB/DE Kingsley Enagbare for the Gamecocks and aided recruiting efforts by bringing in consensus five-star defensive end Jordan Burch in 2020.
Showing promise as a high-level recruiter and on-field developer, Peterson could be a valuable asset to the Gators' defense and coaching staff moving forward.
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